Screening ushers in a historic change in a country that until recently considered cinemas immoral and un-Islamic

RIYADH—Lama Saleh, a 23-year-old from Riyadh, had never been to the movies until last month when she went to Dubai specifically for the experience. She wanted to be prepared when cinemas open this week for the first time in 35 years in Saudi Arabia.

“I didn’t know anything about cinemas,” said Ms. Saleh, who works in a cosmetics shop here in a mall where a movie theater is expected to open. “It’s something we experienced abroad, but now we’ll finally get to do it here.”